Sunday, January 31, 2016
Elephant broke sprinkler to enjoy a shower
Not for the first time, Faa Sai, a formerly abused elephant now retired at the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand, broke a sprinkler so that she could play in the water.
YouTube link.
Previously.
YouTube link.
Previously.
Topless gardener convicted of swindling 73-year-old out of his home
A jury in Boulder, Colorado, have convicted a woman of swindling a half-blind 73-year-old man out of his trailer home after he said he'd give it to her if she agreed to take care of his cat after he died.
Catharine Pierce, 58, was found guilty of felony theft and criminal exploitation of an at-risk elder on Wednesday. Pierce gained notoriety in Boulder in 2009 when she was involved in a dispute over her practice of gardening while topless.
She faces up to 12 years in prison when she is sentenced on March 18.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit from Boulder police, Pierce and her husband, Robert Pierce, moved in with an elderly man who owned a trailer in Boulder in 2014, staying rent-free for about seven months. Police said the victim in the case told the Pierces that they could have his trailer after he died if they agreed to look after his cat, which he said was the only thing he cared about in the world. While she lived with the victim, Catharine Pierce convinced him to sign what he thought was an agreement to that effect, but he had actually signed over and sold her his trailer for $1, according to police.
She later attempted to have him evicted. Catharine Pierce successfully sued the man, who could not attend the court hearing because he was scheduled to have cataract surgery the following day, and a judgment was entered against him to turn over his home. Boulder County Deputy District Attorney Jane Walsh, who prosecuted the case, worked with local law enforcement, court officials and county protective services to block the eviction about a week before it happened. Robert Pierce was not charged, but he has an unrelated assault case still open against him in Boulder County Court.
Boulder police allege he assaulted a Regional Transportation District security guard for telling Catharine Pierce that she could not be topless at the Boulder Transit Center in 2014. District Attorney Stan Garnett said the case was important because it involved the exploitation of an elderly person, and cases like this one are often complex and challenging for prosecutors. "The community should know that if they are concerned about a senior who they know in the family, or a friend or neighbour, who may be a victim of exploitation, the should call Adult Protective Services or my office," Garnett said.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit from Boulder police, Pierce and her husband, Robert Pierce, moved in with an elderly man who owned a trailer in Boulder in 2014, staying rent-free for about seven months. Police said the victim in the case told the Pierces that they could have his trailer after he died if they agreed to look after his cat, which he said was the only thing he cared about in the world. While she lived with the victim, Catharine Pierce convinced him to sign what he thought was an agreement to that effect, but he had actually signed over and sold her his trailer for $1, according to police.
She later attempted to have him evicted. Catharine Pierce successfully sued the man, who could not attend the court hearing because he was scheduled to have cataract surgery the following day, and a judgment was entered against him to turn over his home. Boulder County Deputy District Attorney Jane Walsh, who prosecuted the case, worked with local law enforcement, court officials and county protective services to block the eviction about a week before it happened. Robert Pierce was not charged, but he has an unrelated assault case still open against him in Boulder County Court.
Boulder police allege he assaulted a Regional Transportation District security guard for telling Catharine Pierce that she could not be topless at the Boulder Transit Center in 2014. District Attorney Stan Garnett said the case was important because it involved the exploitation of an elderly person, and cases like this one are often complex and challenging for prosecutors. "The community should know that if they are concerned about a senior who they know in the family, or a friend or neighbour, who may be a victim of exploitation, the should call Adult Protective Services or my office," Garnett said.
Death of woman found with two live monkeys and an incoherent man deemed suspicious
The death of a woman found in a Florida hotel room on Friday afternoon is being investigated as suspicious, city spokesman Josh Taylor said.
Linda Marie Smith, 59, of Arcadia was found dead in a room at the Budget Inn in North Port. In addition to her body, two live monkeys were in the hotel room.
Shortly after 1:30pm police announced they were investigating a suspicious death in a room at the hotel. About an hour later the city announced the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had retrieved two capuchin monkeys from the room. Taylor said the primates were found in carrier crates and were not loose in the room. Taylor said a man was also found in the room.
He was incoherent and received medical attention, and investigators intend to question him further. His identity has not been released. According to Taylor, there was no sign of trauma to Smith's body and a note was also found in the room. The cause of death is undetermined and the medical examiner will perform an autopsy. Capuchin monkeys hail from South America. They are named after Capuchin monks because the dark fur on their heads resembles the priests' headdresses.
YouTube link.
Robert Klepper, a FWC spokesman, said capuchin monkeys are considered exotic pets. Florida residents must complete 1,000 hours of training and provide two letters of reference before becoming permitted to own a capuchin monkey. As of October, 2015, there were approximately 45 licensed capuchin monkey owners in Florida, Klepper said. Klepper provided some insight on where the recovered monkeys might be heading next. “Normal protocol would be to place them with a licensed permit holder,” he said. “But I cannot speculate as to whether that's happened yet.”
Shortly after 1:30pm police announced they were investigating a suspicious death in a room at the hotel. About an hour later the city announced the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had retrieved two capuchin monkeys from the room. Taylor said the primates were found in carrier crates and were not loose in the room. Taylor said a man was also found in the room.
He was incoherent and received medical attention, and investigators intend to question him further. His identity has not been released. According to Taylor, there was no sign of trauma to Smith's body and a note was also found in the room. The cause of death is undetermined and the medical examiner will perform an autopsy. Capuchin monkeys hail from South America. They are named after Capuchin monks because the dark fur on their heads resembles the priests' headdresses.
YouTube link.
Robert Klepper, a FWC spokesman, said capuchin monkeys are considered exotic pets. Florida residents must complete 1,000 hours of training and provide two letters of reference before becoming permitted to own a capuchin monkey. As of October, 2015, there were approximately 45 licensed capuchin monkey owners in Florida, Klepper said. Klepper provided some insight on where the recovered monkeys might be heading next. “Normal protocol would be to place them with a licensed permit holder,” he said. “But I cannot speculate as to whether that's happened yet.”
Man wearing appropriate T-shirt arrested
A theft suspect in Pennsylvania was wearing a T-shirt declaring he was “Really Good At Making Really Bad Decisions” when he fled from police in a stolen vehicle.
Surveillance video caught the moment three police officers surrounded a silver GMC Sierra pick-up truck in the Sheetz parking lot in Baden Borough.
Police say 36-year-old Michael Emrick of Ambridge was behind the wheel.
They say he was caught stealing food from the gas station and things escalated from there. “He backed up, hit the gas hard, and a Harmony Township Police officer, who was backing us up at the time, kind of got caught in the window or by the mirror, and was thrown from the vehicle,” Baden Borough Police Chief David Christner said. A Baden Police officer tried using a Taser on Emrick but missed.
They say Emrick took off, leading them on a wild chase while throwing drug paraphernalia out of the window. “He took it through the woods and went through several streets,” Chief Christner said. Emrick crashed his car into Frank Roppo’s backyard, smashing into two of his utility sheds. “I heard a big bang. I was looking out the window. I got my pistol. I don’t know what’s going on, you know?” Roppo said. Roppo said it could’ve been a lot worse.
“The other shed had cans of gasoline in there. It’s a good thing it didn’t burst to flames,” Roppo said. Police arrested Emrick following the crash. He took off on foot, but they were able to catch up with him. They say the truck was stolen from a car dealership in Connellsville. Court records show Emrick has a long criminal background, going back to 1998. Emrick is now behind bars and facing a long list of charges. The injured officer suffered some bumps and bruises but is expected to be okay.
With news video.
They say he was caught stealing food from the gas station and things escalated from there. “He backed up, hit the gas hard, and a Harmony Township Police officer, who was backing us up at the time, kind of got caught in the window or by the mirror, and was thrown from the vehicle,” Baden Borough Police Chief David Christner said. A Baden Police officer tried using a Taser on Emrick but missed.
They say Emrick took off, leading them on a wild chase while throwing drug paraphernalia out of the window. “He took it through the woods and went through several streets,” Chief Christner said. Emrick crashed his car into Frank Roppo’s backyard, smashing into two of his utility sheds. “I heard a big bang. I was looking out the window. I got my pistol. I don’t know what’s going on, you know?” Roppo said. Roppo said it could’ve been a lot worse.
“The other shed had cans of gasoline in there. It’s a good thing it didn’t burst to flames,” Roppo said. Police arrested Emrick following the crash. He took off on foot, but they were able to catch up with him. They say the truck was stolen from a car dealership in Connellsville. Court records show Emrick has a long criminal background, going back to 1998. Emrick is now behind bars and facing a long list of charges. The injured officer suffered some bumps and bruises but is expected to be okay.
With news video.
Motorist who reversed almost three kilometres at 60 kph arrested
A Chinese motorist filmed driving almost 3 kilometres at 60 kph in reverse on Monday has been arrested.
The man was spotted in Nanjing city by another motorist, who noticed the car ahead of him travelling while facing in the wrong direction.
At one point he lowers the camera towards his speedometer, showing he is travelling at 60 kph, nearly 40 mph.
YouTube link.
On Saturday, the reversing driver was arrested. He is facing a charge of committing a crime against public security by dangerous means.
The man was spotted in Nanjing city by another motorist, who noticed the car ahead of him travelling while facing in the wrong direction.
At one point he lowers the camera towards his speedometer, showing he is travelling at 60 kph, nearly 40 mph.
YouTube link.
On Saturday, the reversing driver was arrested. He is facing a charge of committing a crime against public security by dangerous means.
Store owner used improvised flamethrower in bid to deter armed robbers
A quick-thinking store owner in Redland City, Queensland, Australia, launched an attack against two armed robbers with the help of an improvised flamethrower early on Saturday morning.
CCTV video shows the moment Alexandra Hills shop owner Dan Rigney defended himself against two armed men using insect spray and a lighter.
Blasting the bandits with flames, Mr Rigney managed to send the intruders into temporary retreat, one making for the door while the other fell backwards, dropping one of his weapons.
LiveLeak link. Original news video.
The second attacker, recovering, is then seen standing and aiming his gun directly at Mr Rigney, shouting threats and moving for the cash register. Mr Rigney took the opportunity to flee while the robbers laid aside their weapons and began raiding the till before fleeing with a total of $680. Police are hunting for the attackers.
CCTV video shows the moment Alexandra Hills shop owner Dan Rigney defended himself against two armed men using insect spray and a lighter.
Blasting the bandits with flames, Mr Rigney managed to send the intruders into temporary retreat, one making for the door while the other fell backwards, dropping one of his weapons.
LiveLeak link. Original news video.
The second attacker, recovering, is then seen standing and aiming his gun directly at Mr Rigney, shouting threats and moving for the cash register. Mr Rigney took the opportunity to flee while the robbers laid aside their weapons and began raiding the till before fleeing with a total of $680. Police are hunting for the attackers.
Rabbit catapulted onto roof of bungalow during storm rescued by firefighters
Firefighters rescued a rabbit from the roof of a bungalow in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland on Friday morning.
Bumper the bunny was thrown onto the roof after Storm Gertrude blew his hutch over in high winds.
The rabbit was discovered on the roof of Woodbank House, a residential care home, after a night of heavy winds thanks to Storm Gertrude. "We tried to figure out how on earth a rabbit would get on the roof," said Caroline Swift, a worker at the home. "It must have catapulted when the big cage was blown.
"We knew we had to get it down and none of us could climb onto the roof because it was dangerous, so we called the fire service. It took them a while but they were really good about it." David Doherty, the fire service's district commander for Omagh, said the rescue was "something a wee bit different on a Friday morning".
"Usually for animal rescues, we would pass the details on to the USPCA but the circumstances to this were a little bit different as we were told the animal had been blown onto the roof by the wind. When the crew got there, they found the storm had caught the rabbit's hutch enclosure and catapulted the rabbit up onto the roof. It was quite easy for them to go up there and rescue the rabbit."
There's a news video here.
The rabbit was discovered on the roof of Woodbank House, a residential care home, after a night of heavy winds thanks to Storm Gertrude. "We tried to figure out how on earth a rabbit would get on the roof," said Caroline Swift, a worker at the home. "It must have catapulted when the big cage was blown.
"We knew we had to get it down and none of us could climb onto the roof because it was dangerous, so we called the fire service. It took them a while but they were really good about it." David Doherty, the fire service's district commander for Omagh, said the rescue was "something a wee bit different on a Friday morning".
"Usually for animal rescues, we would pass the details on to the USPCA but the circumstances to this were a little bit different as we were told the animal had been blown onto the roof by the wind. When the crew got there, they found the storm had caught the rabbit's hutch enclosure and catapulted the rabbit up onto the roof. It was quite easy for them to go up there and rescue the rabbit."
There's a news video here.
Drunk man driving stolen mobility scooter led police on low-speed pursuit
A man on a stolen mobility scooter that was pursued by police has been sentenced to carry out unpaid work.
Andrew McConnachie, 47, set off at 5mph from Inverkeilor, near Arbroath, while twice the legal alcohol limit.
McConnachie, of Aberdeen, stole the vehicle after he was ejected from a bus.
Depute fiscal John Adams told Forfar Sheriff Court that McConnachie had been thrown off the bus for being sick. He said: "The driver was coming back in the same direction when he saw the accused driving a mobility scooter which the accused did not have with him on the bus. The bus driver was concerned because he was all over the road."
Police stopped McConnachie, who said the scooter was his, but passers-by told officers it belonged to a local man. Mr Adams said: "The accused then explained that he saw the scooter and assumed it was for hire." McConnachie admitted stealing the scooter from Main Road, Inverkeilor, in December 2015 and driving with excess alcohol. He had been pursued by a police vehicle with its blue lights flashing, while weaving around the road at just a few miles-per-hour.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski: "He is on a range of medications and medical advice not to drink was not advice that he followed. The scooter was just beside the bus stop, he got on it and luckily for him he didn't go onto the main A92, which would have been extremely dangerous." Sheriff Pino di Emidio ordered McConnachie to complete 70 hours of unpaid work and banned him from driving for three years.
Depute fiscal John Adams told Forfar Sheriff Court that McConnachie had been thrown off the bus for being sick. He said: "The driver was coming back in the same direction when he saw the accused driving a mobility scooter which the accused did not have with him on the bus. The bus driver was concerned because he was all over the road."
Police stopped McConnachie, who said the scooter was his, but passers-by told officers it belonged to a local man. Mr Adams said: "The accused then explained that he saw the scooter and assumed it was for hire." McConnachie admitted stealing the scooter from Main Road, Inverkeilor, in December 2015 and driving with excess alcohol. He had been pursued by a police vehicle with its blue lights flashing, while weaving around the road at just a few miles-per-hour.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski: "He is on a range of medications and medical advice not to drink was not advice that he followed. The scooter was just beside the bus stop, he got on it and luckily for him he didn't go onto the main A92, which would have been extremely dangerous." Sheriff Pino di Emidio ordered McConnachie to complete 70 hours of unpaid work and banned him from driving for three years.
Woman desperate to find cat accidentally driven away from home clinging to roof of partner's van
A woman is desperate to be reunited with her cat after it was accidentally driven away from home on the roof of a van.
Bernie Campbell described the “horrible moment” she realised what had happened to her pet, Tig, after he went missing two weeks ago.
When a member of the public posted on social media that they had spotted a cat on the roof of a silver Vauxhall Vivaro passing though Broadstone in Dorset, three miles away from Bernie’s home in Upton, her fears were confirmed.
Her partner, Jamie Tilsed, had been driving to Ferndown Industrial Estate but did not realise Tig was asleep on the roof when he set off. The couple are hoping Tig would have survived the journey and are doing everything they can to relocate him. I’m heartbroken right now, and I’ve had very little sleep. I want my boy back,” Bernie said. “We checked the van and you can see where he was as he has ripped through the paint down to the metal and there’s fur stuck in the double roof rack system where he must have been pinned into the corner.
“People were trying to flag down the van, apparently, but with no luck.” The couple have had Tig since August 2013. He was abandoned by his previous owners and Bernie took him in after finding him badly injured one day. “He had a horrible start in life. I took care of him when he had his face badly smashed in an incident where he ended up in the back of a dustbin lorry. His tongue was split from top to bottom, and the vet said at the time he would have to be put down if they were unable to save the tongue.
“I’m hoping that old part of his life will help him to survive now,” she continued. “We’ve been out every night since he went, taking the route up to the estate. We’ve put up posters everywhere and have handed out leaflets. We’ve reported him missing to every vets in the area. I asked the manager of Ferndown Industrial Estate to look at the CCTV footage at the time Jamie was there, but he said it wasn’t switched on that day, unfortunately.” She added: “I just hope he’s not hurt and his inner GPS is working properly so he can make it home.”
Her partner, Jamie Tilsed, had been driving to Ferndown Industrial Estate but did not realise Tig was asleep on the roof when he set off. The couple are hoping Tig would have survived the journey and are doing everything they can to relocate him. I’m heartbroken right now, and I’ve had very little sleep. I want my boy back,” Bernie said. “We checked the van and you can see where he was as he has ripped through the paint down to the metal and there’s fur stuck in the double roof rack system where he must have been pinned into the corner.
“People were trying to flag down the van, apparently, but with no luck.” The couple have had Tig since August 2013. He was abandoned by his previous owners and Bernie took him in after finding him badly injured one day. “He had a horrible start in life. I took care of him when he had his face badly smashed in an incident where he ended up in the back of a dustbin lorry. His tongue was split from top to bottom, and the vet said at the time he would have to be put down if they were unable to save the tongue.
“I’m hoping that old part of his life will help him to survive now,” she continued. “We’ve been out every night since he went, taking the route up to the estate. We’ve put up posters everywhere and have handed out leaflets. We’ve reported him missing to every vets in the area. I asked the manager of Ferndown Industrial Estate to look at the CCTV footage at the time Jamie was there, but he said it wasn’t switched on that day, unfortunately.” She added: “I just hope he’s not hurt and his inner GPS is working properly so he can make it home.”
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